BEING EARNEST
In Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest,” dashing men-about-town John Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff pursue fair ladies Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew. Matters are complicated by the imaginary characters invented by both men to cover their on-the-sly activities – not to mention the disapproval of Gwendolen’s mother, the formidable Lady Bracknell. Suitable for the whole family, it plays until July 14 at Lakewood Playhouse, Fridays & Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2. See Tacoma Weekly writer Steve Dunkelberger’s full review at http://www.tacomaweekly.com.
CARNIVAL OF MADNESS
Raise those devil horns, metalheads! The Washington State Fair will crank up the volume on Sept. 18 with the Carnival of Madness, which will bring Shinedown, Skillett, In This Moment and We As Human to the Washington State Fairground grandstand in Puyallup. The show will kick off at 5 p.m. that day, and tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on June 22, with prices ranging from $35 to $45. Check out the full fair concert schedule online at http://www.thefair.com/concerts.
DRAKE
Canadian rapper Drake is headed to Tacoma, promoter Live Nation announced. The multi-platinum selling artist – known for "Over," "Started From the Bottom" and other hits – will kick off his “Would You Like a Tour?” tour at Portland's Rosegarden on Sept. 25, followed by a Sept. 26 stop at the Tacoma Dome. The show is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start, and up-and-coming R&B singer Miguel will open. Drake will be out in support of his forthcoming album “Nothing Was the Same.” Tickets for the Tacoma show will go on sale on June 21 with prices ranging from $47 to $97. Find the most up-to-date ticket info at http://www.ticketmaster.com.
URBAN SKETCHING
This is your invitation to join urban sketchers Tacoma. Join a meet and greet at 10 a.m. outside Tully’s on Broadway then disperse with the group to go sketching at the Broadway Farmers Market. At 12:30, its back to Tully’s to be part of the Urban Sketchers group photo. For those who wish to do so, you are welcome to lay out your sketchbooks (on a table, ledge, ground) to share your efforts for the day. It’s great fun seeing all the different ways of sketching. Check out http://www.flickr.com/groups/urbansketches/pool.
TOUR DE PIERCE
Don’t miss this year’s Tour de Pierce with a new rest stop and special refreshments. This year’s June 30 date will include 30- and 50-mile marked routes. The 12-mile route is designed for families or for those new to biking. All routes include maps and cue sheets, map my ride qr codes, a rest stop with refreshments, and rest rooms. The ride starts and finishes at the Washington State Fairgrounds Gold Parking lot, South Meridian & 9th Ave S.E., Puyallup. The fee, paid the day of event, is $18 per rider or $54 for a family of four from the same household. A limited supply of Sport Tek Competitive shirts are available for purchase for $20. For more information contact Pierce County Parks and Recreation at (253) 798-4177 or http://www.piercecountywa.org/parks.